Memoirs and morsels from home and abroad

community challah

When I moved to DC, I chose my apartment location for its proximity to my office and the Dupont Circle metro station (a straight shot to the station near my parents’ house, but still far enough away to afford me privacy), and its “safe distance” from the then-starting-to-gentrify, but in my parents’ mind still-sketchy, 14th street.

Little did I know that someone must have been looking out for me.

I happened to be remarkably and somehow strategically close to the Kesher Israel Synagogue and therefore within walking distance of an incredibly warm and welcoming community. This is the synagogue that really defined community for me and helped direct me towards figuring out what type of person and Jew I aspire to be.

It was here that I first joined a synagogue with my own membership.

That I got invited to the Rabbi’s house for lunch!

That I made and served my first shabbat meal.

I have since joined other synagogues and communities, and have even gotten a Rabbi’s invitation or two, but the community that will always be a point of reference for me will always be Kesher.

And a major part of this community was food. One problem with DC at the time is that there were very few places to buy fresh challah. As a result, many people baked their own. And since I was a very novice cook at the time (and have still never really developed into much of a baker — see labo(u)r of love), my parents bought me a bread machine. And then I got a recipe for challah from a couple that was known for being really good cooks — Eric and Aliza.

Eric and Aliza's challah recipe - the original 4X6 index card

I made this challah so many times and became somewhat well-known in the community for bringing it to different people’s shabbat meals, that once Eric and Aliza brought their own home-made challah to someone’s home and the host remarked, “oh, you made Zahavah’s challah!” (Though for the record, I always always always referred to it as Eric and Aliza’s challah!).

Bread Machine Challah

Based, in gratitude, on Eric and Aliza’s challah recipe, so generously shared and so shamelessly sold as my own. This recipe is meant to be made in a bread machine, on the “dough” setting. It is really easy and requires little more than 5-10 minutes to place all ingredients in the machine, 90 minutes to run the “dough” setting, and then 20 minutes in the oven to bake (with additional time to let rise if you want). This is a somewhat forgiving recipe. I have accidentally added 5C flour instead of 4 and I once forgot to add the egg and added it before the last kneading cycle — most of the time, it has come out just fine. And the challah freezes pretty well if you wrap in aluminum foil and keep in a ziplock bag.

Measure wet ingredients into bread machine bowl – water, oil, egg. Make sure water is warm, not hot, to activate the yeast without cooking the egg.

Add sugar, honey, salt and flour(s). Make sure that the salt is under all of the flour because you don’t want it to touch the yeast.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast into the well.

Put “bowl” into bread machine and set to “dough” setting.

After 90 minutes, challah dough should be ready — it should have risen to the top of the bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Knead the dough a little bit more on a well floured board (or your counter). Stickiness will depend on various factors such as altitude, humidity, etc. But, again, I never mind a bit of flour on my baked goods (see “sticky fingers.”)

Divide and braid as appropriate:

- For 3-stranded braid – braid as you would braid hair, alternating strands from right and left and consistently put “outside” strand over center strand

- For 4-stranded braid – always braid from in one direction (either right or left…does not matter, just be consistent), putting “outside” strand (A) over second strand (B), under third strand (C), and then over fourth strand (D); then new outside strand (B) goes over C, under D, and over A; then new outside strand C goes over D, under A, over B, etc. NOTE – this is how I do it. I have seen other directions elsewhere that are all the same, but different from my methodology. I like mine and it’s the only one I can vouch for

4-stranded braids - after rising

- For 6-stranded braid: hard to describe, but very similar to the 4-stranded braid. I believe I got this method from Spice and Spirit, a Lubavitch cookbook that left much to be desired for me, but did have some pretty good diagrams for braiding

- To complete any braid: I generally start a braid about 1/4 of the way from the top. When I reach the end, I pinch the ends together and tuck them under. I then return to the top of the braid and repeat. I do not start a braid by pinching everything together at the top because I find this makes a very messy end that does not match the other one.

- Simple roll: roll out small piece of dough about 8 inches and twist into a knot, then tuck top end underneath bottom of roll

4-stranded braid and some rolls, after rising

After loaves are formed, place on lightly greased and floured (or parchment covered) cookie sheet (I sometimes use Silpat). Allow to rise again (not required, but better) on top of pre-heating oven, covered with clean cotton towel

OPTIONAL: make egg wash – beat egg with 1 t cold water and brush over challah with pastry brush twice – once before putting in oven, and then after 10 minutes in the oven; this will help give the crust a nice sheen

Bake in oven for 20 minutes (sometimes 25) until challah is golden brown (NOTE – some people like it slightly undercooked and doughey)

Cool on baking rack. Best served warm (can wrap in aluminum foil and reheat at ~200°F for 20 minutes)

challah fresh from the oven; no egg wash used

Variations:

- sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds after first egg wash

- rosemary challah — omit honey and use 100% white flour; crush 2 T dried rosemary with mortar and pestle and add 1T with dry ingredients; mix the second T rosemary with kosher salt or fleur de sel and sprinkle after first egg wash

- cinnamon challah - great for shavout; add 1.5T cinnamon with dry ingredients; can also add a cinnamon sugar coating after first egg wash

- sprinkle challah – another kid-pleaser from Caroline of “noodles and nuggets” fame – add chocolate or colored sprinkes into the dough or onto the top of the challah after the first egg wash

About

Hi! I'm Gayle, and here I use my Hebrew name Zahavah. I work front of house in a restaurant where I'm learning the hospitality industry from the ground up. Up until a year ago, I was a health care consultant. Also, I have an MD. Go figure! Thanks for dropping by and joining the conversation.

koshercamembert@gmail.com

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